Does Adblock Violate A Social Contract?

almondjoy writes "Newsforge is currently running a story on Firefox extensions where the author states the following regarding use of the AdBlock extension: 'If you use this tool ... there are those who would assert you are not holding up your end of a 'social contract' between yourself and the Web site that you are browsing' Would you be volating a social contract hitting the 30sec skip button on Tivo? Or putting a strip of paper across the bottom of our TV screen to block out those super annoying scrolling banners? I have found that using the combination of AdBlock and FlashBlock extensions in Firefox has greatly enhanced my browsing experience. Has acceptance of web sites crammed with advertising content become part of my social contract with society?"

Using commercial time to go to the bathroom

[Matt the Hat]

could get you sued, then. I guess.

I sure hope so

[Enigma_Man]

If I could violate the social contracts of every advertiser out there, I would be a happy man. I just hope that someone somewhere is angry that I've blocked their crappy flash/gif advertisement.

-Jesse

Re:What social contract?

[RealSalmon]

Anyone remember the annoying "punch the monkey flash ad"?

I'll get that damn monkey one of these days. He'll rue the day that he openly mocked me. "And he'll know, he'll know, that it is I, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who emcompasess his doom . . .AH HA HA HA!"

"Social Contract" extended into the physical world

[Caped Cod]

"Yes, your honor, I was honoring my social contract by carefully reading all the roadside billboards and advertising when I accidentally drove my car into that Denny's."

Re:What social contract?

[dogmatixpsych]

What's kind of funny is that I didn't even realize /. had ads. I don't really ever look at the top of websites anymore because that is where most of them put ads.

// Here's how you create your own personal adblock (but it only works on things at the top of the screen): Create a lesion (how you do this is your own problem) in the lower bank of the calcarine fissure in both your occipital lobes. This leaves you with a superior quadrandanopsia. (In other words, when you fixates on a point, you cannot see things in the upper visual fields of either eye).

//Then come see me. *Aspiring to be a clinical neuropsychologist*

Re:Well, lets see...

[DrinkingIllini]

Advertisers don't seem to get that I'm dead broke in college. I don't have the money to buy anything.
Let a fellow collegiate finish that thought "...except beer, lots and lots of beer."

Re:the answer is..

[chrisopherpace]

SPAM= meat in a can
spam= junk email

Don't give SPAM a bad name (not like it had a terribly good one to begin with, but still).

Re:Whu...?

[Anonymous Coward]

Source, please.

<p>Research is pretty clear that text based ads have a much higher rate of success than any other form of internet ad.</p>

Re:the answer is..

[ckaminski]

Meat, high in fat, salt and protein, that has a shelf life measured in years is a useful product. When you're still alive after the nuclear winter, you'll bow down to Hormel and give thanks unto your Gods. :-D

Re:Using commercial time to go to the bathroom

[youknowmewell]

I guess they really mean it when they say, "Don't go away!"

Re:Violation? YES

[whitehatlurker]

Two wrongs don't make a right, but two rights make a left

Unnh. I think you mean three rights make a left. Still stupid and senseless, but at least more accurate. (And that's what we strive for on /.)

Re:Unfortunately, they do sell

[Sj0]

Advertising is the only thing keeping [...] (most) internet free.

It is? Oh shit! I'd better throw some up on my page!

Re:Unfortunately, they do sell

[soft_guy]

There are always bozos who actually buy things they get spammed about, which is why spammers continue doing what they do.

I propose the following method to get rid of spam:

1) Spam a lot of people.
2) When people respond to the spam wanting to buy things, get their address, go to their houses and kill them. I think we can all agree that this isn't murder so much as a mercy killing.
3) ???
4) Profit!

Re:the answer is..

[Surt]

I'm not sure I'll be thankful i'm alive if all i've got to eat is spam. Some things are a fate worse than death.

Re:THEY VIOLATED IT, NOT US.

[nightsweat]

I think you can turn the old "by visiting this site you agree" canard around.

By allowing me to visit this site you agree to let me block the shit out of your ads and malware.

Why don't I ever get to write these "contracts"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Choicepoint gets to collect and sell all kinds of information without your knowledge or approval, and there is no punishment when they sell it to criminals.

By the way, Microsoft owes me $4.27 rent today for having their software on my disk drive. Hey! They didn't sell it to me, it is just a license.

Re:Annoying People != $$$

[Anonymous Coward]

posting anonymously, but you've seen our ads

Oh no I haven't.

Re:There is no contract.

[utexaspunk]

clearly what we need is floating point currency!

(...just my $2e-2)

Re:the answer is..

[cornjoelio]

You'll be using the can of spam to beat other people to death so you can eat them.

Re:the answer is..

[mothz]

Well what do you do for a living. When I come to your office - i think you should perform those services for me for free.

Grandparent poster is a professional boxer.

Re:Annoying People != $$$

[sbszine]

I have an asterisk server that directs all telephone calls that are from outside my local dialing to voicemail

That is fucking awesome. I hope your voicemail message is something along the lines of "taste my open source PBX fury, human spam!" followed by an earsplitting 15 kHz tone.